


Like A Crazy Trust Exercise

by bookwyrrm



Category: Cats (2019), Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Genre: F/F, Pre-Relationship, jellicles are actual cats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:22:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23633797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookwyrrm/pseuds/bookwyrrm
Summary: After the Jellicle Ball, Victoria tries to adjust to her new life as a street cat, and she and Rumpleteazer have a much needed conversation.
Relationships: Rumpleteazer/Victoria (Cats)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 26





	Like A Crazy Trust Exercise

The problem was that Victoria still didn’t have any place to sleep. The other Jellicles had taken her in and showed her their hidey-holes in alleyways and trash cans, but Victoria had trouble sleeping on the street. It wasn’t always so bad -- she felt safe around Munkustrap and Mistoffelees, sharing a cardboard box with the brawny twins Plato and Socrates, or curled into Old Deuteronomy’s warm coat -- but she couldn’t help feeling like she was in danger every time she heard a noise. 

The rest of her new life wasn’t terrible. She was able to eat by following Bustopher Jones around with the other street cats. And it was still warm enough that she didn’t have to worry about freezing in a snowstorm. Still, Victoria had been a house cat. This was all new to her. 

She had been waiting outside of the house for an hour before the last human left, and she was able to slip inside through an open attic window they had forgotten to close. There had been a fire blazing inside the inn while groups of humans were eating and mingling inside, and although the fire had been extinguished now, Victoria was betting that the stone fireplace would still be nice and warm. It wasn’t raining yet, but dark clouds were casting a chill through the air, and the skies looked like they might open up any second. 

Victoria landed lightly on the wooden floors and took a moment to savor the feeling of being inside with no bugs to bite at her and no cold pavement to sting her feet. She circled the edges of the room, trying to find scents of other hostile cats or dogs, but nothing stood out to her as a sign that she should leave this haven. She found a piece of cheese on the ground and sniffed it. 

“Hello!” The cat called Rumpleteazer said loudly as she leapt in through the window. 

Victoria startled at the noise and jumped violently. Her tail grew two times its size, just as her paw came down upon a piece of wood. Something metal and sharp cracked over her paw, holding it in place. 

She looked down at the trap that had sunk its teeth into her foot as a spasm of pain traveled up her leg. Victoria whimpered. 

Rumpleteazer was still in the room and for once, wasn’t causing chaos. Instead, she was peering at Victoria. “Caught in a mouse trap, princess?” 

“You scared me and I stepped on it.” Victoria took a shaky breath. “It really hurts.” 

“Sorry about that.” Rumpleteazer took a few steps forward. “I’ll help you get out.” 

Victoria hissed at her, almost involuntarily. “No!” 

The thief froze and retreated to the other side of the room. 

Outside, it began to rain. 

“I don’t trust you. I’ll do it myself, I got out of the other trap you left me in.” Victoria was aware that she was rambling, but she didn’t care. She bent down and used her teeth to pull at the metal of the trap. 

Rumpleteazer said, “Don’t do that, that’ll make it --” 

The metal bounced forward to land on her paw with more force. Victoria hissed again in pain. 

“-- worse,” Rumpleteazer finished. “Just let me help you.” 

“Why did you leave me to the dog?” Victoria spat out. 

Rumpleteazer’s eyes looked away from hers. Normally they sparkled with life, but now they looked embarrassed. “That dog is harmless. It would’ve just licked you, and maybe nibbled on you a little bit.” 

“That’s not an answer,” Victoria said. 

Rumpleteazer sighed, and admitted. “I don’t know why we did it. You have to understand, if I had the choice between saving the world or saving my brother, I would choose Mungojerrie. Even though he’s a pompous ass, he’s mine. We don’t have anyone else to trust.” 

Victoria watched her, frozen in place by the vulnerability that crossed Rumpleteazer’s face. It made her look very young. 

“We just thought it would be funny. But I guess it wasn’t, so I’m sorry. Really.” 

“Thank you,” Victoria said quietly. 

“My turn for a question,” Rumpleteazer grinned, her affable mask back in place. “Why did you trust the Jellicles so easily?” 

Victoria thought about it. She shrugged. “They were kind to me. You were kind to me too, at first.” 

Rumpleteazer took a small step forward. “I’d like to be kind to you again, if you’ll let me help you with the mousetrap.” 

“Why did you help kidnap Old Deuteronomy?” 

“Ah, that. We didn’t know he was going to kidnap her. Macavity paid well, and we just thought he were going for a bit of fun, to audition for the Jellicle Choice. But we don’t work for him any more, not since he double-crossed us. We could use a career change.” 

Victoria stepped forward, hopping on three paws while she cradled the one caught in the trap to her chest. 

Rumpleteazer asked, “Are you and Mistoffelees mates now?” 

“Mates?” 

“You know. A couple. You share a den, you have kittens. Mates.” 

“Oh.” Victoria blushed. “I don’t think so. We’re best friends, but he hasn’t said anything about that.” 

Rumpleteazer took another step. “Do you want to be mates with him?” 

“It’s my turn for a question,” Victoria teased. The trap was still biting into her paw, but the pain wasn’t so bad when she was focused on her conversation with Rumpleteazer. “Do you have a mate?” 

The other cat snorted. “Definitely not. Toms are bad news, and I’m not inclined to be much of a mother.” 

Victoria hopped forward, and almost lost her balance before steadying herself. 

“You okay?” 

She nodded. “I’m okay.” 

“There you go, you got it. My turn to ask a question: are you looking for a mate?” 

Their eyes met. 

“I don’t know,” Victoria said quietly. Adrenaline was running along her muscles and her spine, and she wasn’t quite sure why. “It would be nice to have someone. Someone to rely on, someone to take care of and who could watch out for me.” 

“Don’t have to be a tomcat for that,” Rumpleteazer said. 

“No, it don’t,” Victoria replied, unintentionally copying Rumpleteazer’s charming grammar. “I mean, doesn’t.” 

They were now in the middle of the room. 

Victoria said, “One last question. If a human comes in right now, would you leave me and save yourself?” 

Rumpleteazer swallowed. 

“Tell me the truth.” 

“Yes,” Rumpleteazer said. “I would jump out of the window at the first sign of trouble and leave you in here.” 

Victoria said, “Oh.” 

She didn’t know what to do with that answer. 

“ _But_ I would stick around and watch through the windows. And if you were really in trouble, if they were going to take you to the pound, then I would come save you.” 

“Really?” Victoria asked. “Why?” 

“I don’t know you that well, but I’m not a total asshole. Do you think you could trust me on that?” 

Victoria held out her paw. 

Gently, Rumpleteazer reached around Victoria’s leg to press two levers at the same time, one at the top of the trap and one at the bottom. The metal that had been crushing Victoria’s paw opened and she quickly backed away. 

Rumpleteazer kicked the mousetrap into another corner. “That’s better, right?” 

“Much better.” Victoria smiled at her. “Thank you.” 

She moved forward swiftly and brushed her cheek against Rumpleteazer’s, officially marking them as friends by sharing scent. Rumpleteazer gaped at her. 

The fireplace was still warm, just as Victoria had predicted. She sat as close to it as she could, enjoying the pleasant temperature. Victoria began to lick her hurt paw, aware that the fur on her back was not quite settled yet, even though she was out of the trap. 

Tentatively, Rumpleteazer moved a little closer to her and began to groom Victoria’s ears. The rhythmic touch was incredibly soothing, and Victoria felt herself relax a little more. 

“You know,” Rumpleteazer said, “There’s a young woman who lives pretty close to our home base. She always sets out water for us. I bet she would be a good human to live with, if you’re looking for an inside home again.” 

Victoria mulled that information over in her mind. “Is she kind?” 

“Kind and patient. She puts up with me and Mungojerrie, even though we wrecked her garden. And if you live with her, we could come visit you all the time.” 

“Maybe,” Victoria said. She was growing sleepy. “I would be interested in going to check out the house, once the rain stops. Check it out _without_ stealing.” 

Rumpleteazer chuckled and rested her head on her paws. “Stealing? Me? I would never.” 

They rested in front of the fireplace, not quite curled up together, but close enough that they could see each other without moving. The rain tapped lightly on the roof, but Victoria was dry and safe. 

Rumpleteazer began to snore quietly. Victoria smiled and closed her eyes. She could get used to this. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still not the hugest fan of the new movie, but Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer was one of the few scenes that I absolutely loved. I'm also a big victeazer shipper, so I wanted to explore how their interactions in this universe pre-relationship and how trust could build up between them again. 
> 
> If you enjoyed this fic, please leave a comment or kudos! Thanks for reading!


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